Cross Body Lead in LA style Salsa explained

An essential part of learning Salsa. As without it or done badly the whole dance looks bad, no, sorry looks bloody awful!

Hence it’s worth taking the time to learn it properly.

An explanation of the Cross Body Style of Salsa

L.A. style is danced on 1, in a slot. It is highly influenced by Hollywood and by the swing & mambo dances. L.A. style emphasizes sensuousness, theatricality, and acrobatics.
The two essential elements of this dance are the forward/backward basic as described above, and the cross-body lead. In this pattern, the leader steps forward on 1, steps to the right on 2-3 while turning 90 degrees counter-clockwise (facing to the left). The follower then steps forward on 5-6, and turns on 7-8, while the leader makes another 90 degrees counter-clockwise. After these 8 counts, the leader and follower have exchanged their positions.

I think of it as dancing between a pair or parrellel set of rails. “Going off the rails” takes on a new meaning as some ladies do (i mean in the cross body lead!). Or what about the extra step between 5 & 7 and they end up on the wrong foot.

Perform a Cross Body Lead for Men
1. Step 1: Step forward on the left foot, count “1.” Tap your right foot in place, count “2.”
2. Step 2: Place your left foot back and turned to the left side, count “3.” Your body will be facing left now.
3. Step 3: Stop your body’s turn when you are perpendicular to your starting point and be sure you are holding a very wide stance, count “4.”
4. Step 4: March in place first with the right foot, count “5.” Then with the left foot, count “6.”
5. Step 5: Close feet together turning the body and heading in the opposite direction from where you started.

Perform a Cross Body Lead for Women
6.Step 1: Walk forward with left foot, count “1.”
7.Step 2: Take a step with your right foot, count “2”, but turn and end your foot at a 180 degree angle from where you started.
8.Step 3: Put your feet together and count “3-4.” You should be facing the opposite direction from where you started.
9.Step 4: Place your right foot back and count “5.”
10.Step 5: Lift your left foot up and put it down, count “6.”
11.Step 6: Bring your right foot back to meet with the left foot again, count “7-8.”

[…] Colombian style of Salsa ( as some of them were Colombian). I am so used to linear, 8 beat LA CBL (Jump if you need to find out about Cross Body Lead) moves that it was a bit difficult to let go and just feel the 4 beat and dance to […]